Solved von Trimberg’s Fingers Touch Left Arm, Thumb Touches Right Arm

Michael Hoffman 4:40 Feb. 5, 2026

Crop by Michael Hoffman

Contents:

Intro

This was a big aha! puzzle solving after 6 days of working on this sub-problem in this image.

An unusual, short post (as the WordPress blog post UI is intended).

Recording it to draw attention to the decoding or puzzle-solving approach.

Figured Out Lower Fingers Touch Left Arm & Lower Thumb Touches Right Arm

text msg to AM/YW [4:02 Thu. Feb. 5, 2026]

Copied from https://egodeaththeory.org/2026/01/31/hand-shape-theory/#text-msg-Lower-Fingers-Touch-Left-Arm-Lower-Thumb-Touches-Right-Arm —

[4:02 Thu. Feb. 5, 2026]

Figured out!! 

von Trimberg’s lower _fingers_ touch other guy’s _Left_ arm (as previously noted); now, I comprehend the full symmetry here: 

I previously noted that his lower _thumb_ is over/ against von T’s “other arm” – 

How I grasp, that “other arm” is von T’s _Right_ arm!

That is consistent & balanced.

As I am consistently dull & slow.

But give me 6 years – or days; I found this wonderful perfect Jewish Hat / von Trimberg picture 6 days ago, Jan 30, 2026.

This was the main sub-problem I was puzzling over ever since I first set eyes on this image 6 days ago.

This discovery is an example of how a major breakthrough is a series of jackpots lasting 1-2 weeks – not a single day all at once.

This particular puzzle was at the right advanced level to challenge me for 6 days, then solved.

Symmetry achieved; sub-puzzle solved.

🏆🖼️🎉

Crop by Michael Hoffman

Searching web for “jewish hat” 6 days ago Jan 30 2026 was best move ever. Huge payoff.

txt msg to JW [5:21 p.m. Feb. 5, 2026]

Our church is blessed and charmed:

1) The church logo has more branching on L than R, per classic wisdom.

2) A church founder in August 2025 presented 3 slides on block-universe eternalism(!), unbelievably.

Surely it was just a dream – hell freeze over when someone presents my countervailing view in church.

That encouraged me to finish my article for the church Reader issue 1, and solved the problem where church leader said the quiet part out loud, “no-free-will” — but I labored hard to solve that framing April – Aug 2025.

Solution: Wed the two POVs.

Image: rebis holding Y.

Dionysus and Ariadne victory wedding procession mosaic https://egodeaththeory.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/dionysusmosaichires-branch.jpg —

William James’ Pragmatism-approved.  

In our experience, we do have it both ways: both opposite models are the case: integrated possibilism/eternalism thinking.

Psychedelics requires a Pure Cognitive Phenomenology approach, reject Neurobaloney Reductionism. Reject armchair academic “Epistemology, Ontology, Metaphysics”.

It doesn’t matter how the world out there really is.

What matters is the shape of our experience in the two states;

  • the possibilism experiential mode. {fingers}. {king steering in a tree}.
  • {mixed wine at banquet}
  • the eternalism experiential mode. {thumb}.
    {snake frozen in rock} = worldline in block-universe eternalism.

txt msg to R L [11:21 p.m. Feb. 5, 2026]

Hand-shapes are one out of ten common ways to depict branching vs. non-branching – list is below; Y vs. I basic contrasting shapes.

Uninspired articles list many less basic & profound themes, the classic artist initiation guild w mushroom lockbox, was more interested in Y I contrast than diluted articles on lesser themes.

The best artists focused on contrasting via hand finger shapes, Y vs. I 

In the medieval art genre of {mushroom-trees} 

The best, most important thing about hands is their conveyance of Y & I shapes, or Y’&I’ visual cuts or negations of branching fingers.

Scholars pay too little attention to basic elementary branching morphology basic shapes contrasts: 

List of Branching Contrasts

  • tree vs. snake in rock
  • Y vs. I
  • branching vs. non-branching 
  • branching manyworlds vs. block-universe eternalism & worldlines
  • Quantum Mysticism vs. Block-Universe Mysticism 
  • fingers vs. thumb
  • pinkie, ring, & middle finger vs. index finger
  • ordinary-state possibilism vs. altered-state eternalism 
  • a Y mushroom on L, & a I mushroom on R, while Eustace displays “fingers vs thumb”

St. Eustace Crossing the River (Chartres Cathedral)

🍄🍄✋😊🤚🍄

Mâle, p. 3, The sky, water and trees. From the Legend of St. Eustace. Window at Chartres. Image processing by Michael Hoffman circa 2005.

Mâle, p. 3, The sky, water and trees. From the Legend of St. Eustace. Window at Chartres. Image processing by Michael Hoffman circa 2005.

Harmonize 2POV

Wisdom: harmonize the 2pov; the two different points of view, two different mental models.

Reconcile experiencing both ways.

First, king Pentheus _abandons_ his wife Ariadne. 
Attitude: “Branching is childish delusion; get rid of possibilism-thinking.

Then, the god Dionysus _weds_ Ariadne.
Attitude: Reconcile branching-experiencing & non-branching experiencing.

2-way “embrace and include” the Y & I models, both.

A useful hand 🫲 🤚👋✋ has an opposable thumb, together with fingers.

The mushroom-tree religion, in a broad sense: mushroom-influenced motifs depicting moving from ordinary-state, branching thinking​, to altered-state, non-branching thinking​.

Triumph of Dionysus (Roman Mosaic)

Mushroom branching imagery depicts moving from ordinary-state, branching thinking​, to altered-state, non-branching thinking​.

The mind ends up with integrated possibilism/ eternalism thinking.

That’s a beautiful vision, that acknowledges the experience of possibilism, & the altered-state, revealed experience of eternalism.

Dionysus (eternalism-thinking) and 
Ariadne (possibilism-thinking) 

In the victory wedding procession mosaic.

Triumph of Dionysus on a Roman mosaic (3rd century, Sousse Archaeological Museum).

Dionysus and Ariadne victory wedding procession mosaic. https://egodeaththeory.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/dionysusmosaichires-branch.jpg —

The Y I-focused medieval artists are the most important: 

This art genre uses finger shapes intricately and elegantly, especially focusing on depicting branching vs. non-branching.

Look for details of branching, at the level of portions of fingers.

Look for Y and I forms at the level of, details of each finger.

Not looking only for fixed patterns; more typically, be flexible on your toes looking for unique expressions of Y and I forms.

That’s the central focus for the best artists from the mushroom-stocked artists initiation guild, that teach each other the mushroom-tree religion: {mushroom}, {branching}, {handedness}, and {stability} motifs.

Finger shapes easily, efficiently depict:

the ordinary- vs. altered-state sense of 

[a kind of control agent in a kind of world]

✋ = 🪾vs.🐍

It’s efficient to use finger shapes to contrast Y & I, and to integrate or harmonize possibilism/eternalism thinking, on the level of experiencing; cognitive phenomenology (not about epistemology, ontology, or metaphysics).

Psychonauts Signal Group Post, p.m. Feb. 5, 2026

At house church 👼🏡⛪️ Aug 24, 2025, our church founder gave a sermon on Alan Moore’s comics novels about psychedelic block-universe eternalism (non-branching snake worldline embedded in rock block universe).

That’s even more extreme of a model than Emily Adlam’s “all-at-once universe”.

There’s a spectrum of positions way beyond “free will vs. determinism”.

A Pure Cognitive Phenomenology Approach; Reject Cognitive Neurobaloney

The Egodeath theory, since April 1987, uses a Pure Cognitive Phenomenology approach.

I’m anti-Neurowoo, such as orange areas in pop scan pictures, to impress the rubes.

Neurobaloney that uses “cognitive” as a sales term only, is like conversing with Sharday Mosurinjohn impressed the pop podcaster such that Sharday bragged about the many disproofs by academics of entheogen scholarship — and the pop podcaster failed to blurt automatically “Citation needed!”, as a scholar would.

Neuro woo is a sidetrack distraction from Cognitive Phenomenology.

txt msg to AM [10:17 Feb. 6, 2026]

the 1893 fabrication of the positive unitive model of “mystical experience” was totally fake driven entirely Pop sociopolitical agenda; selectively hype 1% of Vedanta, discard and ignore 99%, crafted by popular demand 

what model of Transcendent Knowledge sells?  optimize & select for that, eliminative sculpting/ filtering driven by popular demand 

same way the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ) & the Challenging Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) were crafted by the Marketing dept 

based on what sells to the pop audience 

txt msg to AM [10:25 Feb. 6, 2026]

i believe ZZZ allan badiner zig zag zen never even ONCE considers the question of psychedelics in asian religious history 

thats why i cant stand to crack open the book: i have a SEVERE dispute with its basic driving premise shared by all these “enlightened, progressive” contributors, probably same in the updated edition too

totally closed minds in asian studies, asleep in their foundational presuppositions, making the ehole a whole affair — book & field — futile confusion about the relatiknship of psychedelics & meditation

u only had 1 job, & totally failed

zzz ab95

zzz book concept:

explore the relation of psychedelics & meditation.

Yet, 

Step 1: GIVEN, as a SILENT axiomatic presupposition: everyone knows that buddhism history lacks psychedelics.

Given: the relation of psychedelics & buddhism is, buddhism history has no psychedelics.

Given that, let us discuss and investigate:

What’s the relation between buddhism (which was historically, non-drug) & this brand new technology, psychedelics? 

This futile exercise can only produce confusion.

Zig Zag Zen: Buddhism and Psychedelics (Badiner, 2002)

Published April 1, 2002. I purchased on June 16, 2002.

Zig Zag Zen: Buddhism and Psychedelics
April 1, 2002 (newer edition is available)
by Allan Hunt Badiner (Editor), Alex Grey (Editor), Huston Smith (Preface), Stephen Batchelor (Foreword)

https://www.amazon.com/Zig-Zag-Zen-Buddhism-Psychedelics/dp/0811832864/ —

Blurb: (1st Edition):

“Buddhism and psychedelic experimentation share a common concern: the liberation of the mind.

Zig Zag Zen launches the first serious inquiry into the moral, ethical, doctrinal, and transcendental considerations created by the intersection of Buddhism and psychedelics.

With a foreword by renowned Buddhist scholar Stephen Batchelor and a preface by historian of religion Huston Smith, along with numerous essays and interviews, Zig Zag Zen is a provocative and thoughtful exploration of altered states of consciousness and the potential for transformation.

[EXCEPT FOR THE QUESTION OF HISTORY OF PSYCHEDELICS IN BUDDHISM, NEVER CONSIDERED EVEN ONCE BY ANY PARTICIPANT. -mh]

“Accompanying each essay is a work of visionary art selected by artist Alex Grey, such as a vividly graphic work by Robert Venosa, a contemporary thangka painting by Robert Beer, and an exercise in emptiness in the form of an enso by a 17th-century Zen abbot.

“Packed with enlightening entries and art that lie outside the scope of mainstream anthologies, Zig Zag Zen offers eye-opening insights into alternate methods of inner exploration.”

[define “alternate” – a loaded/ freighted term. -mh]

ZZZ 😴 2 (2015; 13 years later)

https://www.amazon.com/Zig-Zag-Zen-Buddhism-Psychedelics/dp/0907791611/ —

“More than ever, people are in pursuit of greater fulfillment in their lives, seeking a deeper spiritual truth and strategies for liberation from suffering.

Both Buddhism and psychedelics are subjects that one encounters in such spiritual pursuit.

Edited by Tricycle contributing editor Allan Badiner and art edited by renowned visionary artist Alex Grey, Zig Zag Zen features a foreword by Buddhist scholar Stephen Batchelor, a preface by historian of religion Huston Smith and numerous essays, interviews, and art that lie outside the scope of mainstream anthologies.”

[Beware at “mainstream”.

Hidden is that this book ZZZ is mainstream, in that it is based on the silent mainstream presupposition/ prejudice, “no psychedelics in Buddhism history”.

This MAINSTREAM, PHONY-ALTERNATIVE book fails to undermine and transform Buddhism at the foundation, revealing the psychedelic origin of Buddhism. -mh]

“This new edition of the classic work on Buddhism and psychedelics includes

  • a recent interview with Rick Doblin, founder of MAPS,
  • contributions from Ralph Metzner,
  • James Fadiman and
  • Kokyo Henkel, and a discussion of
  • ayahuasca’s unique influence on Zen Buddhism.

Packed with enlightening entries offering eye-opening insights into alternate methods of inner exploration.”

txt msg to AM [10:30 Feb. 6, 2026]

Listen or see transcript at 1:08:30 in video:

Leading Chemist David Nichols Says Meditation Came from Psychedelics, Argues Against Meditation Huckster
At 1:08:30 in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYWITI4fGJw&t=4110s 

Dr. David Nichols collaborated with Alexander Shulgin.

Our church pastor had conversations with Nichols.

Nichols is the main supplier of medical synthetic psilocybin, eg. for Hopkins research.

txt msg to RL [10:06 Feb. 6, 2026]

Web research shows:

  • Absolute four-dimensional spacetime​ or block-universe eternalism is relatively entrenched as a given, used in Physics.
  • Everett branching manyworlds is considered mere conjecture. (But that’s the shape of our experience, so do not “get rid of” that way of thinking.) 

In the ordinary state, many ppl favor no-free-will. And some of those ppl (Sam Harris) SEPARATELY advocate psychedelics.

What no one realizes is that combining belief in no-free-will with psychedelics gives an EXPERIENCE, of block-universe eternalism.

This sort of “I’m an atheist & I believe no-free-will”, counterintiuitively, leads to religious experience.

Believing in no-free-will and then using psychedelics (discovering the experience of no-free-will/ block-universe eternalism) is not the opposite of religious experience, but is the path to rediscover actual religious experience, but re-conceived.

The religious experience of block-universe eternalism (“block-universe determinism”).

Surprise: Sam Harris, your “atheism”/ no-free-will, by adding psychedelics, discovered the classic mystical religious experience, which is different than presumed.

No-free-will (ie, block-universe eternalism) is not armchair ordinary state Philosophy; it is a shattering, personal control- transformative experience.

txt msg to RL [10:43 Feb. 6, 2026]

Medieval hand shape interpretations other than simple Y vs. I theme are complicated & arbitrary.

Y vs. I means:
ordinary-state branching possibilism 
vs.
altered state non-branching eternalism

What is the most extremely basic & profound interpretation?  

My Y/I model is based firmly in the two states of consciousness, unlike the uninspired, fake, invented, pseudo-explanations.

I go down to the root of meanings:

WHY is a certain hand-shape “a blessing”?  

Because it is the shape of 
ordinary state ‘Y’ branching thinking/ ​experiencing,
contrasted with
altered state ‘I’ non-branching thinking​/ experiencing

  • tree vs. snake (in rock)
  • Y vs. I 
  • branching vs. non-branching 
  • possibilism vs. eternalism 
  • fingers vs. thumb
  • 3 fingers vs. 1 finger
  • {stand on left foot} vs. {stand on right foot} 

The Argument from Simplicity

The YI contrast is simple, profound, clean, and non-arbitrary, thus compelling.

/ end of: txt msg to RL [10:43 Feb. 6, 2026]

The Egodeath theory’s Mytheme theory operates at the root, rather than layered-on, ordinary state speculations, where writers in the ordinary state read the interpretations and speculations of other ordinary-state writers.

Outsider, ordinary state based writers (scholars, academics, researchers) spin-out outsiders’ readings, unprofitably, and miss the ultra basic, 2-state, states of consciousness.

Daily Vocabulary “States of Consciousness” ~= Custom Lexicon “Experiential Modes”

The Most Interesting & Relevant Thing in Religion: Y-Shaped Experience vs. I-Shaped Experience

I dislike any alien lexicon terms, such as “states of consciousness”.

Instead, per the Egodeath theory custom purpose-built optimized lexicon:

There are two experiential modes: tight cognition vs. loose cognition; ordinary state vs. altered state.

When interpreting medieval art: first of all, above all, look for contrasts of world model depending on ordinary state vs. altered state.

Look for motifs carrying the message/signal:

  • The ordinary state is like __.
  • The altered state is like __.

The SIMPLEST Solution:

  • The ordinary state is like a Y shape.
  • The altered state is like an I shape.
  • literalist ordinary-state possibilism with autonomous control
  • analogical psychedelic eternalism with dependent control
  • ordinary-state possibilism with autonomous control
  • psychedelic eternalism with dependent control
  • ordinary-state possibilism
  • psychedelic eternalism
  • tight cognition possibilism (Y)
  • loose cognition eternalism (I)

The Egodeath theory leverages binaries, usually. Trinary, asserted by the medieval art genre of {mushroom-trees}:

  1. naive possibilism-thinking (/experiencing)
  2. basic eternalism-thinking (/experiencing)
  3. integrated possibilism/eternalism thinking (/experiencing)

keyboard shortcuts – problem: “thinking” is daily language but incorrect, we mean experiencing, driving thinking. Firstly an experiential mode, later, a thinking/model.

naive possibilism-experiencing
doesn’t make sense, how can experiencing be naive?

  1. possibilism experiencing
  2. eternalism experiencing
  3. integrated possibilism/eternalism experiencing

An experiential mental model is both “thinking” and “of experiencing”. An experiential mental model.

the possibilism experiential mental model
pemm

the eternalism experiential mental model
eemm

the integrated possibilism/ eternalism experiential mental model
ipeemm

  1. the possibilism experiential mental model
  2. the eternalism experiential mental model
  3. the integrated possibilism/ eternalism experiential mental model
  1. the possibilism experiential mental model (lower fingers)
  2. the eternalism experiential mental model (lower thumb)
  3. the integrated possibilism/ eternalism experiential mental model (upper fingers & thumb)

I judge and favor this progression to be the main basic model in the medieval art genre of {mushroom-trees}:

  1. lower fingers
  2. lower thumb
  3. upper fingers & thumb

That’s based on 2-3 sweeps over past 6 months, of hand shapes in Great Canterbury Psalter.

I have set up prediction:

I predict that the predominant, NORMAL imagery pattern – we know artists will play and bend it — the starting point for their permutation variants — is

{lower fingers; lower thumb; upper thumb and fingers}

The first, initial variant form: index not thumb:

{lower fingers; lower thumb (or index finger: this is the first variant); upper thumb and fingers}

The interpreter must identify which form is the starting, basic form; vs. which form is a deviant clever signature innovative spinoff variant.

von Trimberg threw me b/c he does NOT do the pattern in guy 2 & 3 & Great Canterbury Psalter.

He simply displays whole hand but 12:38 Feb. 6, 2026] in Great Canterbury Psalter try to interp “hold out {hold out both hands showing fingers & thumbs} as 3 phase seq: lower fingers, lower thumb, upper fingers + thumb.

Hypothesis: {displaying both complete hands} in Great Canterbury Psalter Means 3-phase sequence: lower fingers = possibilism experiential mode; lower thumb = eternalism experiential mode; upper fingers + thumb = the integrated possibilism/ eternalism experiential mode

integrated possibilism/ eternalism experiential mode
ipeem

  1. possibilism experiential mode
  2. eternalism experiential mode
  3. integrated possibilism/ eternalism experiential mode

[12:41 Feb. 6, 2026]

  1. possibilism experiential mode (extend display lower hand’s fingers)
  2. eternalism experiential mode (extend display lower hand’s thumb)
  3. integrated possibilism/ eternalism experiential mode (extend display upper hand’s fingers & thumb)

integrated possibilism/eternalism
ipe

eternalism experiential mode
eem

possibilism experiential mode
pem

  1. eternalism experiential mode
  2. possibilism experiential mode
  3. integrated possibilism/eternalism experiential modes

f109 top left-middle: YI Hand Pairs

Crop by Michael Hoffman, Feb. 6, 2026, fullscreen

Features, Guy 1, sweep from bottom to top of hands:

  1. lower fingers, cut – there are 4 cuts on 4 cut mushroom stems.
  2. upper thumb, cut – there is a cut on the 1 non-cut mushroom stem.

Index finger inherently carries a vibe / implication of “index finger splayed apart from 3 fingers”, even when not splayed.

Special Inherent Loading of the Index Finger as Either Y or I

Index finger is loaded to be like first born finger. Index finger is special: it is wildcard either participating in Y fingers, or, serve as a thumb-like, I shape.

Features, Guy 2, sweep from bottom to top of hands:

  1. lower fingers touch {closed book} pages.
  2. lower thumb
  3. coordinated upper fingers + upper thumb, both are cut visually to assert non-branching, by combining fingers + thumb, able to grasp {open scroll}.

(skip guy 3 & 4 of 5)

Features, Guy 3, sweep from bottom to top of hands:

He is the normal, standard, to deviate creatively/ expressively from, just as {stand on right foot} is the normal departure Ref point, to then draw upside down guy.

  1. lower fingers = possibilism experiential mode/ model
  2. lower thumb = eternalism experiential mode/ model
  3. upper fingers & thumb = integrated possibilism/ eternalism experiential mode/ model

Left Thumb Touches Right Limb

Motif: {L thumb touch R arm/palm/wrist/limb/forearm/hand}

Although L thumb belongs to L hand/arm/limb, per fractal scope (local scope) analysis the thumb is non-branching and therefore belongs to, or identifies with, R limb/hand/palm/forearm.

See Also

Michael Hoffman, B.S.E.E., explaining possibilism (lower fingers), psychedelic eternalism (lower thumb); then integrated possibilism/ eternalism (upper fingers & thumb)

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Author: egodeaththeory

http://egodeath.com

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